Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 15 · 2026-10-12

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

A friend of yours is thinking of going on a camping holiday for the first time this summer. He/She has asked for your advice. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter

• explain why you think your friend would enjoy a camping holiday
• describe some possible disadvantages
• say whether you would like to go camping with your friend this summer

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear ................. ,

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Manpreet Kaur,

I came to know through a common friend that you are planning to go for Summer vacation this Summer.

I feel you will love these camping holidays as this the best time to get connected with the nature. Additionally, all the summer activities such as swimming ,boat riding and rides are open to public. Moreover, there are also drawbacks of these such as public parking as majority of the places are crowded by a lot people. Moving Further,

another big drawback is traffic as majority of people go for camping you may Witness minimum 30 - 45 min of traffic congestion which is big patience test.

Lastly, I did not take any vacation this year because of the busy work schedule so if you guys have space available I am interested to go camping with you this summer. I can bring my own vehicle along with all the necessary amenities required for day to day.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 6.0

You address all three points: you explain that your friend may enjoy nature and summer activities, mention crowding and traffic as disadvantages, and clearly say you would like to join. The invitation is especially clear in “I am interested to go camping with you this summer.” However, the reasons for enjoying the trip are only briefly listed, and the disadvantages focus mainly on congestion rather than the camping experience itself. The opening also says you heard about a summer vacation, but does not directly establish that your friend is planning a camping holiday. Develop each point with a little more specific explanation—for example, what makes time in nature enjoyable, or how to prepare for crowded sites—and keep the advice focused on camping.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5

The letter has a recognisable sequence: an opening, reasons and drawbacks, then your response to the invitation. Linking expressions such as “Additionally,” “Moreover,” and “Lastly” help signal the stages. However, the reasons and disadvantages are crowded into one paragraph, and “Moving Further” interrupts the flow rather than creating a clear transition. The relationship between “public parking” and the drawback of camping is also not fully explained, so the reader has to infer the connection. Use separate paragraphs for enjoyment, disadvantages, and your decision, and connect each idea explicitly. A more natural progression would be to explain the benefits first, then introduce drawbacks with a clear contrast, before ending with your offer to join.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You use relevant vocabulary for the topic, including “camping,” “swimming,” “boat riding,” “traffic congestion,” and “work schedule,” so the main message is understandable. There are also attempts to use a range of expressions, such as “connected with the nature” and “big patience test,” but some combinations are unnatural or imprecise. “Camping holidays” and “summer activities” are broad, while “public parking” does not clearly express the problem you mean. Choose more natural collocations and precise terms, such as “connect with nature,” “crowded campsites,” and “a test of patience.” Avoid repeating “majority” and “big”; more varied wording will make the advice sound more fluent and appropriate for a friendly letter.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5

You attempt both simple and more extended sentence forms, including the sentence beginning “Additionally” and the explanation of traffic congestion. The reader can generally follow your meaning, but some grammatical errors remain. For example, “as this the best time” is missing a verb (“as this is the best time”), and “a lot people” needs “of.” In “if you guys have space available I am interested,” punctuation is needed after the introductory clause, and “I am interested to go” would be more accurately formed as “I am interested in going.” Capitalisation and spacing around punctuation are also inconsistent. Check articles, verb forms, and clause punctuation, then read the letter aloud to catch awkward sentence boundaries.

See this exact question answered at other band scores. The same prompt compared across bands.

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